Perspicacious
by P.B. Fluff
Summary: A few theories for Goliath that I have in fanfic format. The big secret reveal among other things. Written mostly because I adore Deryn and am going through withdrawl waiting for the last book.
1. Chapter 1

A few theories I have for Goliath in fanfic format. Also, I don't own this. I wish.

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><p>"You wanted to see me, sir?" Deryn addressed the count.<p>

Count Volger looked up from what looked like his careful inventory of Alek's belongings and gave a curt nod.

"Ah yes. _Mr. _Sharp. Do come in."

Deryn rolled her eyes and stepped inside the room, pushing the door to close behind her.

She stood, much as she would at attention and the count seemed content to let her stand while he continued with his review of Alek's belongings. For a moment, Deryn let her mind wander. _They saved the barking fencing equipment over another one of those gold bars? The daft ninnies!_ But she grew impatient standing there, while the count ignored her and so finally said, "Sorry, but was there something your countship wanted to see me for? Or did you just want an audience while you counted your things?"

"Yes as a matter of fact, there is something I wished to see you for, _Mr._ Sharp."

Deryn swallowed. "What's it to be this time? Treason? Treachery? Am I to turn the ship off course from Japan to drop you off back at your ice castle?"

The wildcount smiled grimly. Deryn found it only made him look even more intimidating.

"Don't be absurd, I think we both know piloting the Leviathan is beyond your capabilities. As for treason and treachery, I have nothing of the sort to offer you today."

Deryn bristled. _Offering_ treachery. The bum-rag. And she hadn't missed the slight at her piloting capabilities. It was true she probably _couldn't_ pilot the Leviathan on her own, but she wasn't completely hopeless in the air, she was a midshipman after all, and a barking good one, a _decorated _one, for that matter, in the British Air Service.

"Then if you don't mind my asking -"

"You are approximately Alek's age, are you not? Fifteen, sixteen...?

"I -"

"And you are, like it or not, growing into a young woman, not a young man."

Hadn't they been over this bit? He knew her secret, he'd made that clear. "I -"

"As I said before, your outbursts on Alek's behalf have been revealing. Touching really. Had I not figured out your little secret, I might have been tempted to think what a loyal friend Alek had in you."

"He does," Deryn said, the steel she'd wanted to have in her voice melting under the count's glare.

The count smiled his grim smile even wider. "Perhaps. There is a problem with that theory, however."

Deryn's mouth was dry.

"You see, I don't believe you've been a very good friend as of late."

"Sir?"

"I'm referring to your convincing Alek to come back aboard, _Mr. _Sharp."

"But -"

"Alek tells me it was you. Now I can't help but wonder, why it is you would do that. He needed to escape. For his own safety and the future of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He could have escaped, there was no need for him to come back aboard. Things are rather complicated now that Britain is at war with Austria-Hungary, as I'm sure you must have guessed. I'm just not certain how it is that it was best for Alek to come back aboard the Leviathan."

"He's safer here," Deryn whispered. "He... he might not have made it past those other Clankers." Her voice was getting a little stronger now. "It's safer. He's alive at least, isn't he?" _He's safe here where the other Clankers can't get him_, she thought. _Safe where I can make sure he's safe._

"Mmm, alive he is. I'm just not sure that 'safe' is the appropriate term."

Deryn bit her lip. She hated that the count had such a tongue-tying effect on her.

"What is your real name, girl?"

Deryn narrowed her eyes. "What do you need to know that for?"

Volger shook his head. "I don't, I suppose. I'm assuming it isn't Dylan."

Deryn shook her head.

Volger made a show of turning his back to her and folding his hands together behind his back, and took a long, laborious sort of frustrated sigh. "I'll be blunt, Miss Sharp. Alek is the son of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand. And while some may consider his mother's blood enough cause to deny him the Austro-Hungarian throne, his father's blood alone dictates a life that will be dominated by politics. He may not inherit an empire, but he will inherit a number of responsibilities, duties, difficulties and complications. Many, if not all decisions made in his life will likely have to be made based on the potential for perceived political gain. This will very likely include marriage. Do you understand?"

He might as well have punched her in the gut. "I -"

He looked away from the window and half turned toward her again, looking her in the eye now. "Your affections for Alek are... charming, Miss Sharp. But make no mistake, Alek, impulsive and reckless as he may be at times, seems to have more sense when it comes to these things than his father did, having first-hand suffered the consequences of an ill-received royal marriage. Alek will not put his future children in the same position he has been in."

Deryn swallowed, bit her lip, then swallowed again her eyes stinging. The words choked out as she said them, almost as though she were speaking through a bad throat ache. "Then I suppose it's best he still thinks I'm a lad, aye?"

Volger studied her for a long moment. "Yes. I suppose it is."

"Suppose it is," a voice repeated and Deryn whipped around to see Bovril crossing the room, jumping up onto a table to get close to Deryn. How had she not seen him in here before? Unless he'd not been and... but she could have sworn she'd shut the door and if Bovril was here then Alek...

He entered the room and his expression told her in an instant that he'd heard everything. "_Mr. _Sharp," Bovril then interjected into the silence, climbing from the table onto her shoulder. Deryn felt like she could practically see the gears turning inside Alek's head, whirring to a great, greasy roar just like the Clanker engines he worked on.

He opened his mouth to speak, and Deryn did as well, hoping to stem his questioning, any betrayal he might feel with a preemptive strike of apologies and explaining.

But Volger was faster. "Ah, Alek. Have a seat. Rest a moment, I expect you're tired from working on the engines. Then, if you please, there are a few things we need to discuss."

Deryn panicked. "Alek, I -"

"That will be all, _Mr_. Sharp."

"_Mr_. Sharp," Bovril repeated.

"Shut it you," Deryn muttered at the beastie.

"Good day, _Mr_. Sharp."

"But -"

"Please shut the door behind you." Another cold reminder of her foolishness, how could she have forgotten to make sure the door had latched? She chanced a last pleading glance at Alek, at the hurt and confusion in his eyes that refused to meet hers, and left, barely resisting the temptation to slam the door behind her.

Of course, she'd been a fool not to realize, the clever-boots count had planned the whole barking thing! He must have known Alek was due back any moment, and had staged the conversation so. But why? Had he thought that once Alek knew he wouldn't trust her? If so, she figured that plan of his had been a barking brilliant success. The look on Alek's face had said enough, she would no longer be his confidant. He'd never trust her with a squick of anything ever again.

"Barking clever-boots counts," she cursed, stamping off. "Ought to have chucked _him_ out the barking window over one of those fancy gold-bars."

"_Mr._ Sharp," Bovril repeated from his perch on her shoulder.

"Shut it you," she muttered. "Or I'll chuck you out the window as well."

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><p>Reviews are, as Deryn would say, "barking brilliant". Please leave them if you feel so inclined.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: first name not Scott, last name not Westerfeld.

Note: thanks to everyone for the chapter 1 reviews!

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><p>"I take it you heard," Volger said, noting the dumbfounded look Alek knew he must be wearing. "Surprising, I suppose, if you never suspected. She does do a good job of hiding herself. Though if her appearance now is anything to go by, I take it there isn't much to hide. But then, you've never been particularly <em>perspicacious<em> yourself, highness."

He gaped at the count, then closed his mouth again, swallowed, and tried to wrap his head around accepting a new reality. He opened his mouth to speak again, taking another look at the door Dylan had just exited and the words couldn't come.

"Do stop gawking, your highness. You look rather like one of those brainless Darwinist creatures."

Annoyance finally brought the first coherent thought that came into his head out into words. "You knew."

Volger sighed. "Yes. I knew. It is my job to be perceptive, particularly in regards to those you converse with and confide in so consistently."

This was what the repeated bullfrog conversation had been about. "You blackmailed him - _her_ - Dylan. You blackmailed Dylan."

"I rather doubt that's her real name, highness."

Alek ignored Volger's correction. "You blackmailed him - _her_, to do something that could have gotten her in trouble with the Air Service."

Volger rolled his eyes. "Do use your brains, majesty. The British Air Service isn't going to court-marshall a fifteen year old _girl_."

And Alek remembered their conversation before they'd come to the Ottoman Empire. _Don't worry about me_, she'd said. _I've got a trick up my sleeve._ She'd even known then that what she was doing could possibly be construed as treason, and had been willing to rely on the one thing that would ruin her chances at continuing to fly with the service forever. "Why haven't you betrayed her to the Air Service then?"

"It's lucky you aren't a spy, Alek. The information I have on Miss Sharp is valuable. Blackmail may prove her to be a valuable ally."

"And when she's no longer valuable?"

"If she becomes problematic, I may let something slip to the captain. Until then, there is no reason to expose her."

The man was always in control. How he did it, how he always stayed so calm, Alek couldn't fathom.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I could hardly tell you whilst you were gallivanting across the Ottoman Empire, now could I?"

"I've been back aboard the Leviathan for four days."

"It must have slipped my mind then," the count replied delicately. Alek sincerely doubted that. Nothing ever slipped Volger's mind. "But that reminds me, you told me she was the one to convince you back aboard, and I think there are a number of reasons why, that do not necessarily coincide with your safety."

Alek gritted his teeth, not knowing what to think. "I heard."

"Good. Then I hardly need to explain, do I?"

Alek said nothing for a moment, his mind racing with a million different thoughts, all of them disconcerting. If Volger thought she'd felt... _that_ way about him, which, it was strange enough to think that, when this morning she'd still been his good _male_ friend, Dylan, then why did the count seem so convinced of her having ill-intentions in regards to keeping him on board? He understood the count's words about marriage, though he'd hated how it sounded; like cold and blatant snobbery. But why was the count so wary of her?

"Why do you still seem to think she's an enemy?"

"She technically _is_ your enemy, highness, or have you forgotten that Austria-Hungary is now at war with Britain? Moreover, she might prove more dangerous than you can imagine. A friendship with Dylan, a loyal friend serving in the opposing enemy's air service is entirely different than a friendship with a girl illegally serving in the opposing enemy's air service. What do you suppose might happen with this girl, fixed on you as she is?"

Alek hadn't even gotten to that point, this was all too much while he was still trying to get used to the idea of thinking of Dylan as a girl. Especially when a number of other small realizations were still realizing themselves in his mind, popping into his thoughts like fireworks, snippets of conversations they'd had, things he'd noticed that now fit into place. Her more delicate than seemingly normal for a boy features, the longer eyelashes, the higher arched eyebrows. Her awkward sort of gait, an overcompensation for a boy's swagger. The way her voice squeaked like a girl's at odd intervals, when she'd seemed most caught off guard.

Worst of all were the conversations that made more sense now. They replayed themselves at top speed inside his mind. _"But are you saying that...? I mean, what if things _were_ different than what you thought? If I were... or have you guessed already? Just what are you _saying_?" _and _"I'm not really a-" _boy. She'd meant to say, "I'm not really a boy", he was sure of it now, that's what she'd been trying to tell him before they'd been interrupted. And her questioning, _"Do you really think I'm handsome?" _That, no doubt, had been her way of asking, "_Do you think I'm pretty?" _Worst of all were things he'd told her, his speech on Lilit being common the worst, and he winced at the memory. No matter how much Volger might be right that Alek couldn't marry a commoner, the statements he'd made to Dylan in Istanbul had been cold, downright scathing, and his insides churned with the guilt he felt at having very likely hurt her feelings.

Lilit was another matter entirely. Just what had she _meant_ by kissing Dylan? He remembered her words, _"I know you better than you think, _Mr._ Sharp"_ and he was certian that meant she'd liked Dylan, even though she knew that she too was a girl and... he couldn't finish _that_ thought.

"Well?" Volger said sternly, and Alek realized the count had asked him a question.

"I - I don't know, " he said finally.

"Well I do." Volger snapped. "You need to be careful, and let this be a lesson for life. Miss Sharp, very likely hopes her affections are one day returned, which would be bad enough. But there are other dangers a girl of her station who is as close to you as she is presents."

Alek looked up. "Such as?"

"I'm sure you've heard the Darwinist views on reproduction, and crude as I'm sure they are when applied to humans, their crudeness has a certain truth to it."

Finally Alek understood where the count was going. He gaped at him, overwhelmed with embarrassment. "I- I've just found out she's a girl, and - and now you think... you think I'm going to be getting her _pregnant_?" he barely sputtered out, the blush creeping across his face, taking over his ability to speak.

"Stranger things have happened, Alek. And have turned into scandals. I need hardly remind you that _that_ is something you do not need on your record. Children though you may be, there's no telling how long this blasted war will last or indeed, even how long we will be on this godless ship."

This was madness. Alek put his head in his hands, trying to stop the whirlwind of thoughts and took a few deep breaths. Finally he said, "Alright, what am I to do? Stop being hi- _her_ friend?"

Volger raised an eyebrow. "You still wish to be her friend?"

"I- I don't know," Alek admitted.

Volger raised the other eyebrow and for a wild moment he reminded Alek of one of the Leviathan's hawks, all arched eyebrows, hard lines - Volger was like a bird of prey. "I think you know I see it as unwise to continue to pursue a friendship. But if we will be working with her, I suppose it might be beneficical for the two of you to be... friendly. But rememeber what I've told you. Caution is not one of your strengths."

"I'll be careful. I promise."

Volger snorted. "Coming from you, that doesn't seem like much of a promise, but I suppose it'll have to do."

"Fine. What was it you wanted to discuss?" Alek asked.

"We've already discussed it."

"You _meant _for me to hear?"

"I knew when you would be back."

"Why not before? Why..? Why are you telling me now?"

"It didn't seem important before. But we are four days closer to Tokyo. I thought it pertinent to tell you now."

This was too much. Standing up he crossed the room and yanked open the door, off to where, he had no idea.

"Where are you going?"

_Anywhere but here,_ he thought. But to the count he said, "I'll tell you when it's pertinent."

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><p>Author's note: Just to clarify, I adore Lilit, and basically all the female characters in this series, and do really think it's awesome that Westerfeld wrote Lilit as a lesbian or bisexual. Alek's refusal to even try to understand Lilit's actions in this chapter is meant to be a reflection of Alek and the times. Westerfeld himself wrote on his blog that back in the day it was illegal for men to be gay, but there was no such law for women because men refused to believe it existed. So I figured Alek being thoroughly confused by that would be appropriate. Plus, I admit, I wanted to witness more of his head exploding. Because I really like when that happens :P<p>

Review please!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I only WISH I alternated summers between Sydney and NYC like Mr. Westerfeld. I sadly, have not visited either city, but I'd like to someday.

Note: again, thanks for all the reviews! I'm glad others are enjoying this story, I'm having fun writing it. I should warn you all, I tend to be notoriously bad at following through with longer storylines in fanfics, so I'm honestly not sure how many chapters there are going to be. Also, in regards to me mentioning Lilit's sexuality in the last chapter, Westerfeld actually clarified in a Q&A session that if she were alive today to define herself as so, she would be lesbian or bisexual. So I think that pretty much puts a big fat stamp on that. Of course, this is fandom, so we're all welcome to think what we want, I suppose ;).

On with the story!

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><p>She'd managed to avoid him for a whole day, and already she was barking exhausted with the whole stupid thing. It was enough to have to hide from and pretend with everyone else, but to then make her plans according to when she knew she wouldn't run into him was entirely too blistering tricky to be kept up for long.<p>

She'd have to face his princeliness sooner or later she knew, but couldn't resist the draw to try to make it later, rather than sooner. One way or another, she knew it wouldn't last long. As far as she could figure, one of three things would happen. One, he would seek her out, not likely she thought, since he'd seemed hurt by the news. Two, she would seek him out after having grown sick with the anticipation of trying to figure out what on earth he'd say to her now that he knew. This she thought was most likely, given that even now she'd at least prefer for him to be yelling at her, rather than facing the embarrassment of having avoided him so long. Or three, simple probability would will out and she'd run into him given they were _living_ on the same barking airship.

Even though part of her figured she'd crack first, and try to get him to at least talk to her, another part of her wished for the third option to happen. If she met him on a busy corridor on the ship, they wouldn't be able to talk about her secret, not if he didn't want to reveal her anyway, and it might buy her more time that way, time to get her jumbled thoughts straight so she could explain them to someone else.

Why had the clever-boots count had to go and reveal _that_ part of her secret? It was bad enough Alek had learned she was a girl, he probably could have reasoned for himself later that half the reason for her doing half the things she'd done in Istanbul had been for him, but the barking clever-boots count had to go and take away all illusion of not knowing. He knew about her stupid feelings for him now and that alone was enough to make her insides a mess of fiery jelly, worse than the sodding Huxley.

She'd figured too that if he didn't seek her out, it was a sign he was embarrassed for her over her stupid feelings for him. She groaned, and one of the birds she'd been tasked with feeding in the Leviathan's rookery gave an indignant squawk.

"Oh shut it, you," she replied. This was worse than being some stupid village lass, twisting her stupid fingers in her skirts, mooning over some stupid lad back home. The count hadn't needed to tell her that Alek could never be hers, she wasn't daft. She'd put the two and two together on her own, thanks very much. The problem wasn't an inability to cope with reality. It had been an inability to get her stomach to stop doing flip-flops whenever his princeliness had been around.

She was convinced he wouldn't seek her out, and so found herself so flabbergasted when she saw him enter the rookery, she'd done a double-take, startling the two-headed message hawk she'd been instructed to bring back to Dr. Barlow. The hawk gave another indignant squawk.

"Alek," she breathed without thinking.

He nodded his head. "Dylan," he replied in an oddly formal greeting. "If that's your name."

She sighed, and shook her head. "It's not."

Silence. Awkward silence. She turned her back to him for something to do, and hid her face with the fabricated beastie.

Finally she took a breath. "It's Deryn, if you wanted to know."

"What is?" he asked, craning his head around the bird to try for a look at her, his aversion to the beastie evident on his features, even as he tried not to show it.

"The time of day. My barking _name_, you _dumpkompf_." She clapped her free hand up to her mouth after saying it, as though to catch the daft words before they made the trek to Alek's ears, but she knew he'd heard."

But all he said was, "Oh. Right."

He retreated from Deryn's line of vision, and she was glad. She knew she was bright red, she was sure of it. It wasn't sodding fair. "Sorry, I didn't mean... but that's my name. Deryn. Deryn Sharp. Not Dylan."

More awkward silence. Blisters, how had everything got so pear-shaped?

"I thought you'd be mad at me," she admitted.

"I was. In a way."

"You aren't now?" she hated that her voice sounded so hopeful. And so feminine. How the blazes was her voice even supposed to sound? She'd been talking different for so long, she felt she couldn't even get her normal voice back.

"That's... I'm not sure. But I'm not as angry now as I am curious. I'd like the answers to a few questions I have for you. And I'd like them to come from you. Not Count Volger."

"Why's that?"

"Well, for one thing, it'd be rather hard to ask since we aren't speaking at the moment. For another, just because he's a perspicacious sort himself, doesn't mean he'll know all your secrets. Like why you did this in the first place."

"Perspicacious," Bovril repeated.

Deryn ignored the beastie. "What, dressed up like a boy so I could join the air service?"

Alek nodded.

That was easy. "I wanted to fly," she told him. It seemed obvious enough to her. She set the bird down and preceded to open another feed bag for it, still unable to face Alek, but he'd stepped over to stand by her side. "Ever since my Da died, all I wanted to do was fly again. And you don't have to be a barking perspicacious loris to figure that common as dirt girls like me don't often get the chance to fly unless their Da takes them up in a balloon." She chanced a look up at him, she couldn't figure out the look on his face, but found that now she'd met his eyes, she couldn't look away. She swallowed and continued, "Girls only fly if they're dead important, like Dr. Barlow. The only way I figured I could fly again was to join the service and the only way I could do that..."

"Right." He said nothing for a moment. Then, "So it's true? What you said about your father?"

"True as your parents," she whispered. "I- I never wanted to lie to you." She waivered under his hard look. "Look, I know I left out the truth. A barking _huge_ truth, and it's basically the same as lying, but everything I told you about me is the same. And," she was babbling now, but she wasn't sure if she could stop, "And, I wanted to tell you, there were so many times I thought maybe I should, but everything always went pear-shaped and... alright, I already know you know, and you already know I know you know, so I may as well just say it. Just because I turned a bit moony over a barking prince for a little while, doesn't mean I expected you to - well, blisters, things were already complicated enough already, me being friends to a barking prince, and you being friends to someone who's supposed to be your enemy. I- I didn't want things to get even more tricky for you."

"Or you."

Deryn swallowed again and finally looked down again, feeling blinded by having held his gaze so long. "Aye, or me. I'm not saying it was right. And I'm not saying there wasn't a squick of cowardliness mixed in with all the rest of the pear-shaped jumble we'd got ourselves into."

"Then what are you saying?"

Her breath caught. "I'm - I'm sorry. I'm sorry for tricking you, for not telling you the whole truth. For not trusting you like you trusted me. But I'm not sorry for what I did. I'm not sorry for getting on the Leviathan, and I'm not sorry for being here. I belong in the air, I'm a barking good airman - well, air_person_ and it's _not my sodding fault_ they don't let girls join!" She hadn't meant to shout the last bit, but she did out of anger and frustration. It was all the fault of the sodding air service, having been run by dafties who had it in their heads that girls would lose _their_ heads in the sky. _It wasn't her fault. _She was ready to cry now. _That's just great_, she thought. _Crying like a girl, sod it all_.

He said nothing, and Deryn grew impatient, it was again entirely too barking quiet.

"Look, it's fine if you hate me now. I'm just glad you let me explain at least."

"I don't hate you."

"You don't?" Deryn winced at how hopeful her voice sounded. It was pathetic.

"I- I don't want to hate you."

"What in blazes does _that _mean?"

"I told you the truth about me," he shot back, which annoyed Deryn. What sort of answer was that?

"Oh aye, after the lady-boffin figured you out."

"After you'd shown yourself to be a good friend!"

"Aye, after I risked my skin to traipse across a barking clanker city for you and then helped you with your barking Monkey Luddite Anarchist friends! All to help your sodding bum!"

"It was either that or wait alone in enemy territory for the Leviathan to come back, which then would have gotten blown to bits, I'll add. But if you'd have preferred that..."

"I should have told the captain what I knew about your escape! I never should have gotten mixed up in all this treason. Maybe then the world would be making some barking sense right now."

She shouldn't have said it. The moment the words left her mouth, she knew she'd done more damage than not telling him had or would. Moreover, she was wrong again. The world would probably be making _less_ sense because the Leviathan would be a scramble of smithereens on the ocean floor and there was no telling where Deryn would be. Or Alek for that matter. Much as she was loathe to admit it, the whole livelihood of the Leviathan, a barking huge chunk of the fate of the war had rested precariously on the decision of one lovestruck lassie, and that had been her. Whatever annoyance the current turn of events had caused, it was true. They were together and safe aboard the Leviathan all because she'd decided to help his princeliness. Suddenly Deryn was remembering the stupid stories she'd been told as a little girl, of love conquering everything. If she'd known the amount of trouble she could get into, and things she could accomplish all because of having turned moony-eyed over a prince, she'd never have scoffed at those stories. True barking love or not, the decisions she'd made had changed a lot of things, a whole country for starters. Blisters, this was bigger than she'd thought.

He was angry now. She couldn't blame him. "I wouldn't be here in the first place if you hadn't insisted on taking me prisoner! After I helped you, no less."

"A-"

"Mr. Sharp, there you are," Dr. Barlow's voice cut into the rookery. Tazza bounded up to her. "Ah, Alek. I was wondering what was taking so long."

"Sorry, ma'am," Deryn replied, in what she hoped was her 'Dylan' voice.

Dr. Barlow waived a hand. "No matter, I wanted to have a look at him before anyone else sent any messages anyway. It seems this particular animal had a difficult flight. Mr. Sharp, if you would be so kind as to assist me."

Deryn made a face, and for a moment she caught the hint of amusement in his eyes and it was as though nothing had happened and they were still friends.

"I wondered if you might be here though Alek, and so my trip had another use. The count wishes to see you."

Deryn saw Alek bristle, and she wondered what sort of argument the two must have had for them to be not talking. She didn't dare hope it was over her.

He nodded to the lady-boffin, his face impassive again and said, "I'd best be off then, I suppose. Good day, Dr. Barlow. Mr. Sharp."

He left without a last glance.

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><p>Another note: some of you may have noticed I sort of took this scene from some of the Goliath art that's already been revealed, this one is called "Secrets in the Rookery". It's on Westerfeld's blog if you're so inclined to check it out. And yes, I'm rather obsessed with the blog since I've been rabidly eating up any Goliath tidbit I can ever since finishing Behemoth a little over a week or so ago. I wish I were kidding.<p>

Review please!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: not Scott.

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><p>Deryn resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him as he left. Still, somehow her annoyance at Alek must have shown through because as she examined the bird, Dr. Barlow asked, light as a daisy, "Something wrong, <em>Mr. <em>Sharp?"

_What in blazes? _Deryn stared, speechless at the lady-boffin.

Dr. Barlow raised an eyebrow, as if to say, _you didn't think I knew? How silly of you_. But to Deryn she said, "It's no matter to me, really. I _had_ wondered though."

Blisters, did everyone on the whole barking ship know her secret?

Dr. Barlow seemed to be reading her mind. "I hardly doubt others have guessed. Nor indeed, spend that many hours pondering _you_. You are, after all, but one midshipman among several other officers aboard the Leviathan who outrank you."

Again, Deryn found herself tongue-tied by Dr. Barlow's ability to both put some of her fears at ease, and to simultaneously annoy her.

Finally Deryn found her voice again. "You aren't going to...?"

"My dear boy, or should I say, girl, I've no more reason to give you away now than I did when you claimed merely to be too young to be in the air service. Though I must say, I wondered. Even then. Besides, if I gave you away I'd be without my cabin boy, and that would be very inconvenient. Now please do help me to put this animal back in its cage," she finished, all business.

"If I'm not that obvious," Deryn ventured, opening the enormous birdcage for the lady-boffin, "then how-?"

"_Mr._ Sharp," Bovril interrupted with a giggle.

Dr. Barlow gave the loris a small, secretive smile.

"I told you to cut that out," Deryn scolded the loris.

"Deryn. Deryn Sharp," the loris announced sitting upright on its back legs, looking positively pleased with itself.

"Oi! Shut it!" Deryn cried, alarmed. All she needed now was for the stupid beastie to go jabbering _that_ to the rest of the crew. For a moment, she considered tossing it out one of the Leviathan's windows. If Bovril said _that_ in the wrong company she'd be done for.

"Well, it wasn't just the loris's fixation on your name. It was also the loris's fixation on _you_, Deryn."

"Ma'am?"

"Remember when I asked you about your friendship with our young royal friend?"

"Oh, barking spiders!" Deryn cried. "I may as well write it on my sodding forehead!" She wouldn't have to worry about going on trial for treason or getting kicked off the ship for being a girl or any of it. If one more person said they knew about her feelings she'd die of embarrassment and save everyone the trouble.

Dr. Barlow smiled again, wider this time. It was an amused smile, not unfriendly or unnerving like Volger's had been. Still, Deryn found it grated on her nerves. It was all well and good for everyone else to be grinning like a pack of ninnies, but her predicament was growing steadily more prickly.

"Do relax. It was only obvious to me because the loris is meant to bond with only the first person it sees. After that, with someone with whom their 'parent' is very close with, usually - but not always, someone with whom their parent is romantically involved."

"Blisters," Deryn swore under her breath. "I wanted to fly, not - not _this_!"

"Of course, I entertained the possibility that a close friendship might be enough for the loris to bond with another," Dr. Barlow went on, seemingly unfazed by Deryn's second outburst. "And I entertained the possibility of homosexual romantic involvement - don't look so surprised, it happens in other species as well. _But_ the loris's attachment to you coupled with a certain phrase-"

"_Mr._ Sharp!"

"-led me to conclude..."

"Blisters," Deryn swore again, cupping her forehead in her palms.

"Indeed," Dr. Barlow replied, closing the bird's cage.

"Volger's only keeping my secret to blackmail me into helping him," Deryn blurted out.

"Yes, there is that," Dr. Barlow said, as though she'd known this for quite some time as well.

"What am I going to do?" Deryn wailed.

"There's nothing else _to_ do I'm afraid, until the count unveils whatever unsavory plans he has for you. However, rest assured, I do hope to have an out for you, should the time come."

"An out?"

"Well, I suppose you could always tell the captain yourself, and save everyone the trouble. But I daresay that would defeat the purpose of your having lied to get into the air service in the first place."

"Yes."

"I thought so."

Deryn gulped. "So... so you mean, you'll sort of help me? You'll help me out clever the clever-boots count?"

Dr. Barlow's smile was genuine this time, and for a brief moment, she appeared matronly, mothering to Deryn. "Yes. We'll do that. For now though, I do believe you're needed topside for your duties?"

Deryn grinned. "Yes ma'am." She made her way to the door, stopping in the frame to turn around and face the lady boffin again. She clicked her heals and saluted the woman, and for the first time, Deryn felt like she heard her give an authentic laugh, a delighted chuckle.

"Best be on your way, Mr. Sharp."

"Good day ma'am," Deryn said in her best Dylan voice, and strode off. At least she felt she had someone she could trust. It was therefore, with only a slight pang, that she realized the trust she'd valued most, had been Alek's.

* * *

><p>Not as substantial a chapter as I would prefer, but some things can't be helped in life. As always, reviews are appreciated, but not mandated. :)<p> 


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